Fire

OSU study shows wildfire risk challenges long-term forest planning

Wildfire risk is rising across the Pacific Northwest at the same time timber prices remain volatile. For timberland owners, that combination can make long harvest rotations harder to justify and can reduce the value of forestland...

Feb 2026 | Impact Story

Co-created wildfire guide helps Spanish-speaking renters prepare

Wildfire risk continues to increase across Oregon, but access to preparedness education is not evenly distributed. Spanish-speaking renters, farmworkers and forest workers often face barriers that limit their ability to prepare for, ...

Feb 2026 | Impact Story

OSU Extension helps bring air monitoring to the Columbia Gorge

Wildfire smoke has become a recurring health concern in the Columbia River Gorge. The 2020 Labor Day fires brought hazardous air quality levels to the region, breaking previous records. In 2017, the Eagle Creek Fire also ...

Feb 2026 | Impact Story

OSU Extension helps lead septic and well repair efforts in Lincoln County

The Echo Mountain Complex wildfire ignited in Lincoln County on Labor Day weekend in 2020, destroying about 400 homes in and around the Otis community. Hundreds of families were left displaced. Most properties were in ...

Jun 2025 | Impact Story

Northern Blues Restoration Partnership field tour enhances understanding of prescribed fire

Fire is broadly considered an important functional process in forests, rangelands and most other ecosystems. The reduction of periodic fire due to extensive fire suppression practices has been one of the major drivers of ecosystem...

Apr 2025 | Impact Story

OSU Extension helps close emergency communication gaps for Latino and Indigenous residents

The 2020 Echo Mountain Complex Fire burned more than 2,500 acres and damaged or destroyed 368 structures in Lincoln County. It also revealed major gaps in communication and emergency preparedness for the county’s Latino and ...

Mar 2025 | Impact Story

FireBright provides career paths and builds wildfire-resilient communities

To build strong long-term community resilience against wildfires, it's important to involve students. This helps them understand our wildfire-adapted environment and opens career opportunities for them. Agencies like the Oregon Department...

Feb 2025 | Impact Story

Workshop boosts Lincoln County Latino community's emergency preparedness skills

Lincoln County faces numerous hazards, including tsunamis, extreme weather events and wildfires, which can disrupt gas and electric services to households. This disruption limits food preparation options and increases the risk of food...

Feb 2025 | Impact Story

Virtual fencing research seeks to modernize ranching

In ranching, traditional fencing requires significant labor and financial investment to install and maintain. Physical fences are rigid and can limit the ability to adapt grazing patterns to changing environmental conditions. Physical ...

Jan 2025 | Impact Story

Targeted grazing reduces wildfire risk and boosts rangeland health in Malheur County

Invasive grasses — often called “fine fuels” — pose a major wildfire threat and jeopardize the biodiversity of the Northern Great Basin, including Malheur County. These fast-growing grasses outcompete native plants, dry out ...

Jan 2025 | Impact Story